297
semi-circular Neoclassical central building. After having observed the Venus transit in 1769 from a room in the Radcliffe Infirmary, Thomas Hornsby (1733–1810),
Savilian Chair of Astronomy, suggested the construction of this observatory. It was
started by Henry Keene (1772–1776) and completed by James Wyatt (1746–1813)
in 1794, who was impressed by the octagonal Tower of the Winds in Athens. The
telescopes could be used in the octagonal observing room with large windows or
on the balcony surrounding the tower.
10
The old Radcliffe Observatory building has
been used by Green Templeton College since 1979. It is in good condition and its
original instruments are now displayed in the Museum of the History of Science
at Oxford.
10 Already in 1934, the Radcliffe Trustees sold it and erected a new observatory in Pretoria, South
Africa, where the atmosphere was less polluted. Later, in 1970, it was merged with Cape
Observatory (Cape Town) and Republic Observatory (Johannesburg) to the South African
Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) at Sutherland in the Karoo, and had its headquarters in Cape
Town (cf. Glass, 2009: 211–215).
Fig. 4 Octagonal Tower of
the Winds of Radcliffe
Observatory in Oxford
(1772) (photo:
G. Wolfschmidt)
Cultural Heritage of Observatories in Context with the IAU–UNESCO Initiative…
semi-circular Neoclassical central building. After having observed the Venus transit in 1769 from a room in the Radcliffe Infirmary, Thomas Hornsby (1733–1810),
Savilian Chair of Astronomy, suggested the construction of this observatory. It was
started by Henry Keene (1772–1776) and completed by James Wyatt (1746–1813)
in 1794, who was impressed by the octagonal Tower of the Winds in Athens. The
telescopes could be used in the octagonal observing room with large windows or
on the balcony surrounding the tower.
10
The old Radcliffe Observatory building has
been used by Green Templeton College since 1979. It is in good condition and its
original instruments are now displayed in the Museum of the History of Science
at Oxford.
10 Already in 1934, the Radcliffe Trustees sold it and erected a new observatory in Pretoria, South
Africa, where the atmosphere was less polluted. Later, in 1970, it was merged with Cape
Observatory (Cape Town) and Republic Observatory (Johannesburg) to the South African
Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) at Sutherland in the Karoo, and had its headquarters in Cape
Town (cf. Glass, 2009: 211–215).
Fig. 4 Octagonal Tower of
the Winds of Radcliffe
Observatory in Oxford
(1772) (photo:
G. Wolfschmidt)
Cultural Heritage of Observatories in Context with the IAU–UNESCO Initiative…